If you're shopping for a custom closet near the Asheville area, you've probably noticed that some of the "big name" brands are building their shelves using particle board which is coated with plastic to look like wood, and they're taking other shortcuts that won't stand up to the test of time. (And by the way, they call it "real wood" because it's made from "real" sawdust held together by glue.)
Here at Artisan Built-ins, we use real, solid wood and cabinet-grade plywood to build our custom closets and shelving... never particle board. Why? Because particle board doesn't hold a screw very well, and it falls apart as you use it.
Compare that stuff to this beautiful work-in-progress in our studio in the photo below.
All of the shelves and furniture you will see in this photo are made from solid wood or good-quality plywood, and they're painted with low-VOC Benjamin Moore Advance cabinet paint. The closet we're building will still be gorgeous years down the road, and it will add lasting value to our customer's home.
Here at Artisan Built-ins, we use real, solid wood and cabinet-grade plywood to build our custom closets and shelving... never particle board. Why? Because particle board doesn't hold a screw very well, and it falls apart as you use it.
Compare that stuff to this beautiful work-in-progress in our studio in the photo below.
All of the shelves and furniture you will see in this photo are made from solid wood or good-quality plywood, and they're painted with low-VOC Benjamin Moore Advance cabinet paint. The closet we're building will still be gorgeous years down the road, and it will add lasting value to our customer's home.
Our in-house designer will also create a custom a storage solution to fit your closet exactly, instead of giving you a mass-produced unit and trying to adapt it to the available space, which is what the "big name" closet companies do.
Plus, we'll provide a 3D design so you can get a good grasp of the way the final layout will look and feel.
Plus, we'll provide a 3D design so you can get a good grasp of the way the final layout will look and feel.
Take a look at one example that we've recently completed for a customer. Let's start with the "before," which is the original "builder grade" closet that was installed in a new, high-end condo downtown.
The customers' biggest problem was the shelves in the corner, which were an awkward waste of space. In addition, the entire unit was made out of particle board, and it looked and felt very cheesy. (We heard lots of closet complaints from homeowners in that building. This is fairly common even in upscale homes... the builders "save money" on the closets.)
The strange, higgledy-piggeldy shelf heights were also hard to deal with, and there was no place to put their dresser, so it took up most of the floor space.
The strange, higgledy-piggeldy shelf heights were also hard to deal with, and there was no place to put their dresser, so it took up most of the floor space.
We built a custom dresser which fit beautifully in the new closet layout and freed up room to move around.
The "after" photo is a world away from the "before." Double-thick shelves on steel brackets wrap around the upper tier of the closet and allow the homeowners to store off-season items in the formerly unused space. The brackets are rated for hundreds of pounds, so they easily support the weight of the hanging rods and the shelves above. Plus, the shelves could hold rows of books or other heavy items with no sagging or warping.
By the way, this isn't a styled photo. It's just a quick snapshot of how things look in real life, during day to day use. And the once-crowded closet now houses the couple's entire year-round wardrobe with room to spare.
But don't take our word for it... here's what our customer said:
But don't take our word for it... here's what our customer said:
... The master bedroom closet that was built by the construction contractors was a terrible use of the space and not very attractive. Once again, Arthur and Faith helped us design a much better closet that includes "attic" storage space above. The pictures don't do justice to what the completed projects look like!
"Throughout the process they were patient with us, had great suggestions, and were an overall pleasure to work with. Arthur's craftsmanship is meticulous with incredible attention to detail. Faith is the design genius behind Artisan Built-ins!"
Steve Hayleck
If you're tired of messing with a storage space that was put in for the builder's convenience (not yours) then please give us a call. We'll design a custom closet that works well for you, using real wood that can last a lifetime.
